Bob Brookover

COLUMNIST

Sports columnist Bob Brookover joined the Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after long stints in the same role with the Camden Courier-Post and the Delaware County Daily Times. He also served as the National League columnist for ESPN. He made the move from rawhide to pigskin in 2003 and covered the Eagles for seven years before returning to his roots as the Inquirer's baseball columnist in 2010. He became a general sports columnist in 2013 and loves covering a variety of sports and events.

This time, Jimmy Rollins was benched by Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

Manuel had a closed-door meeting with Rollins after the shortstop failed to run out a pop up in Miami earlier this month, but the manager opted not to bench his starting shortstop.

After Rollins hit a sixth-inning pop up in front of home plate Thursday afternoon against the New York Mets, he started to veer off toward the dugout halfway up the first-base line. The ball was dropped by Mets pitcher Jonathan Niese and only then did Rollins start running and he had to stop at first base.

Poll

Did Charlie Manuel make the right move in benching Jimmy Rollins after his baserunning misadventures?

Yes.

No.

The shortstop then stole second base, but immediately made another baserunning blunder. With pitcher Kyle Kendrick at third base and one out, the infield was in with the Mets trying to avoid going behind by two runs.

Kevin Frandsen hit a grounder to second baseman Daniel Murphy and Rollins broke toward third with Kendrick still standing on the bag. Rollins was eventually tagged out and got an earful from Manuel when he returned to the dugout.

When the Phillies went out for the top of the seventh inning, Michael Martinez moved from right field to shortstop and Laynce Nix took Rollins' spot in the batting order.